as in fascinates
to be thought about or worried about by (someone) very often or constantly
The question of life after death has preoccupied many philosophers.
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Recent Examples of preoccupies
In other versions, the demon preoccupies himself with people who’ve fallen asleep in church, carefully noting down every snore.
—
JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preoccupies
Verb
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This is your chance to pursue whatever subject most fascinates you.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
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The cause of brain freeze fascinates neurologists and Slurpee lovers alike, and the science behind it is especially captivating.—
Julia Daye,
Popular Science,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hopefully, there’s a spot that intrigues you.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
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The menu has a lot of delicious choices, but the one that intrigues my girlfriend is their overnight oat bowl.—
C.W. Cameron,
AJC.com,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The fact that both CBS News and CNN will be under the new corporate roof, however, makes the involvement of Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf interests a sensitive point.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
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If that interests you, read on.—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Or maybe a still-working phonograph of Edison’s invention distracts you, until a wall of portraits of 1920s electrical manufacturing workers pulls your gaze in a new direction.—
Michael Kilian,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
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Ultimately, this distracts from the struggles experienced by all those marginalized on the basis of gender.—
Jenna Norosky,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preoccupies. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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